Libya, officially the State of Libya,is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad to the south, Niger to the southwest, Algeria to the west, and Tunisia to the northwest. With an area of almost 1.8 million km2 (700,000 sq mi), Libya is the fourth-largest country in Africa and the Arab world, and the 16th-largest in the world. The country claims 32,000 square kilometres of southeastern Algeria, south of the Libyan town of Ghat. The capital and largest city is Tripoli, located in the northwest and containing over a million of Libya's seven million people.
Libya has been inhabited by Berbers since the late Bronze Age as descendants from Iberomaurusian and Capsian cultures. In classical antiquity, the Phoenicians established city-states and trading posts in western Libya, while several Greek cities were established in the East. Parts of Libya were variously ruled by Carthaginians, Numidians, Persians, and Greeks before the entire region became a part of the Roman Empire. Libya was an early centre of Christianity. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the area of Libya was mostly occupied by the Vandals until the 7th century when invasions brought Islam to the region. From then on, centuries of Arab migration to the Maghreb shifted the demographic scope of Libya in favour of Arabs. In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire and the Knights Hospitaller occupied Tripoli until Ottoman rule began in 1551. Libya was involved in the Barbary Wars of the 18th and 19th centuries. Ottoman rule continued until the Italo-Turkish War in 1911, which resulted in Italy occupying Libya and establishing two colonies: Italian Tripolitania and Italian Cyrenaica, later unified in the Italian Libya colony from 1934 to 1943.
During World War II, Libya was an area of warfare in the North African Campaign. The Italian population then went into decline and Libya became independent as a kingdom in 1951. A bloodless military coup in 1969, initiated by a coalition led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, overthrew King Idris I and created a republic. Gaddafi was often described by critics as a dictator, and was one of the world's longest serving non-royal leaders. He ruled for 42 years until being overthrown and killed in the 2011 civil war, which was part of the wider Arab Spring, with authority transferred to the National Transitional Council then to the elected General National Congress.
Since 2011, Libya has been involved in a political and humanitarian crisis, and by 2014, two rival authorities claimed to govern Libya, which led to a second civil war, with parts of Libya split between separate governments, based in Tripoli and Tobruk, as well as various tribal and Islamist militias. The two main warring sides signed a permanent ceasefire in 2020, and a unity government took authority to plan for democratic elections, though political rivalries continue to delay this.
In March 2022, the House of Representatives ceased recognising the Government of National Unity and proclaimed an alternative government, the Government of National Stability (GNS). Both governments have been functioning simultaneously since then, which has led to dual power in Libya. The international community continues to recognise the unity government as the legitimate government of the country.
Libya is a developing country ranking 115th by HDI, and has the 10th-largest proven oil reserves in the world. Libya has the highest level of greenhouse gas emissions per person in Africa, but has made little progress toward developing climate commitments. Libya is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and OPEC. The country's official religion is Islam, with 96.6% of the Libyan population being Sunni Muslims. The official language of Libya is Arabic, with vernacular Libyan Arabic being spoken most widely. The majority of Libya's population is Arab.
Face value | Family number | English name | Scientific name
1965.01
10.02.1965
Birds
5m
78
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
10m
93
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
15m
26
Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis
20m
23
African Houbara Chlamydotis undulata
30m
26
Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus
40m
13
Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara
1976.01
01.05.1976
Libyan birds
5d
70
Little Bittern Botaurus minutus
10d
167
Iberian Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis
15d
210
Fulvous Babbler Argya fulva
20d
93
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
25d
84
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
1976.02
20.06.1976
Natural history museum
6v set
70d
78
Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciata
1978.01
26.12.1978
First powered flight
5v set
30d
68
Imperial Shag Leucocarbo atriceps
50d
Not identified Not identified
1978.02
26.12.1978
First powered flight
100d
78
White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
MS
1982.01
01.04.1982
Birds
15d
104
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
15d
Not identified Not identified
15d
104
Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides
15d
35
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
25d
204
Common Whitethroat Curruca communis
25d
27
European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur
25d
26
Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis
25d
78
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
45d
162
Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
45d
93
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
45d
90
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
45d
88
European Roller Coracias garrulus
95d
13
Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara
95d
79
Western Barn Owl Tyto alba
95d
51
Cream-colored Courser Cursorius cursor
95d
84
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
1983.01
15.02.1983
Farm animals
16v sheet
25d
8
Greylag Goose Anser anser
25d
11
Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris
25d
27
Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
25d
13
Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
1995.01
15.08.1995
Animals
16v sheet
100d
76
Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius
100d
78
Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus
100d
80
Pharaoh Eagle-Owl Bubo ascalaphus
100d
104
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
100d
227
Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti
100d
26
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata
2002.01
01.09.2002
Revolution anniversary
8v sheet
100d
104
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
100d
77
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
100d
104
Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo
100d
78
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
Philately has been considered as an "auxiliary science of history" because it is based on the general principles of other sciences, which in turn contribute to enrich it. It acquires knowledge of the sciences, of the arts, of languages and opens an immense road of social relations through all countries. This science broadens broad horizons of culture, discovers artistic temperaments and offers the interest of the new and the unknown, while performing a positive therapeutic wor.
